Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir
Dafur – does anybody know where that is? Sure it has been in the news occasionally, or some charity asking for money for the starving children of Africa, but do you really know where it is. What about Sudan? What do you know about the governmental structure and ruling party? Certainly as I started reading this book I was very ignorant.
Halima Bashir grew up in Dafur. She was a very happy and intelligent girl from a moderately wealthy family. The family was financially able to send her to a boarding school and enable her to break the cycle of poverty that entrapped many of her childhood friends. In fact, Halima did so well at school that she became the first non-Arab woman doctor. However, as she left the simple village life, she quickly discovered that in Sudan there was one rule for the Islamic Arabs and one rule for the Islamic Africans, and the rules greatly favoured the Arabs.
Once Halima qualified as a doctor, her real troubles began. Long before her training was complete, she was sent to work as the only doctor in a small African village. Medical supplies were rudimentary, but with sensitivity, caring and clear thinking, Halima made a real difference. That is until the day the Janjaweed attacked the girls school in town. Every single female in the school was raped, teachers, adolescents and even the little girls. Many died. Later Halima was asked about the injuries by a UN representative, and she answered honestly. By that action, she made herself a target.
What follows is horrific. But the story also includes people of generosity and good will who help Halima survive, and escape to England. And then Halima encounters the Immigration controls!
This is a powerful story. And sadly every word of it is true.
